Headlines

Canucks deal with new injury, as Tanev sits

by
Kevin Woodley
/ NHL.com

VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks will welcome Ryan Kesler back against the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday night after the Selke Trophy-winning center missed more than a month with a broken bone in his foot, but the injury news wasn't entirely positive after the morning skate.

Defenseman Christopher Tanev will miss the game against the Coyotes after hurting his right leg taking a hit from Calgary Flames forward Tim Jackman in the first period on Saturday night. Tanev went straight to the locker room, returned for the second period and finished the game, but wasn't on the ice with teammates on Monday morning.

"It should be more day-to-day here," coach Alain Vigneault said. "We're going to give him a day today to recuperate and see how he feels tomorrow."

Injuries are nothing new for a Canucks team that also welcomed back forwards Mason Raymond, Zack Kassian and Dale Weise over the last two games. Keith Ballard will return from a broken foot -- ironically it happened while filling in as a forward because of the other injuries -- to take Tanev's spot on the third pairing, but that leaves Kevin Bieksa as Vancouver's only right-shot defenseman, something that has been problematic at times this season.

Here's how the rest of the lineups could look when the Canucks host the Coyotes at Rogers Arena on Monday night: